Packing is an important aspect of travel planning. It is quite common for packing crises to arise while packing for your trip and this can tend to be a stressful experience. To help make travel planning as seamless as possible, we have compiled a list of common packing problems along with tips on how to address them.
Having too much baggage is a very common problem that travelers face. It may be difficult to tackle this problem, but the first step to approach is to make sure that every item you have packed is essential for your trip. Plan ahead by checking what amenities - such as toiletries - that your hotel will provide so that you don't need to carry extra items along with you.
It can be highly disappointing to purchase many souvenirs during your trip only to arrive home and find them damaged during traveling. Fragile items should always be carried in your carry-on and never in your checked luggage. Use plenty of newspaper, bubble wrap, or even clothes to wrap items that you think might get damaged on the way. A useful tip for packing small fragile items is to slip them inside a shoe and cushion them with a balled-up sock.
Having to deal with wrinkled clothes during your trip may dampen your mood and waste a lot of time. No one likes to spend time ironing and removing creases off their clothes when they could be doing something else during their trip. To avoid the hassle of wrinkles, it is best to pack your clothes shortly before your departure date since the longer they are in your suitcase, the more wrinkled they will be. It is also best to opt for different packing methods such as rolling and folding multiple garments together - as opposed to simply folding each garment individually.
Laptop computers are amongst the most difficult items to pack. The safest and most efficient way to take your laptop computer along with you is by storing it in an outer computer sleeve of your carry-on luggage. Such carry-ons are readily available in the market and provide a secure way to travel with your laptop and other valuable electronic items.
Warm clothing is an absolute necessity when traveling to a cold country. Due to the bulky nature of warm clothing, packing can tend to be quite a hassle. A possible way to save space and avoid squeezing in your sweaters and jackets into your luggage is by wearing multiple layers of clothing while travelling. You save quite an amount of space by wearing your largest jacket or coat to your flight and once aboard the plane you can easily store it in the overhead compartment.
Every traveler’s nightmare is opening their bag to discover that something has spilled all over their items. Make sure that any liquid items that you carry with you are safely wrapped in sufficient plastic wrap - which is the best way to deal with punctured containers and broken bottles.
Realizing that you’ve left forgotten something important halfway to the airport can be a horrible experience. At times it may be too late to go back and retrieve them, which may result in you missing your flight. The best way to avoid this happening is to create a list of absolute essentials prior to your trip and keep all such items - your passport, wallet, mobile phone, and charger, etc. - together.
Though this is a fairly rare occurrence, having your suitcase break and explode in the middle of the airport can be a nightmarish scenario. To deal with this, look for shops in the area that sell duct tape or any similar adhesive material to prevent things from falling apart and collapsing. It may also be useful to carry along a few safety pins - which can be stored with almost no problem - along with you to help you deal with faulty zippers.
There is always hesitancy involved when carrying valuable items such as jewelry. It is best not to travel with items of extreme importance since tourists are usually a common target amongst thieves and pickpockets. But if you do decide to travel with valuable items, keep them in your carry-on and later keep them safe in the hotel - preferably in your room safe if one is available - and take them out only when required.
Packing and preparing for a trip can be a stressful experience. It is normal to feel overwhelmed when a lot of travel planning is involved. The worst thing you could ever do is to leave packing for the last minute! Plan well ahead in advance. It is best to create a list of everything you will need to pack in order to keep things organized. Browse through the list regularly and make changes to it if you think items need to be removed or included.
